Dr. Jennifer Hatfield, PhD'01

The modern-day leader is characterized by the ability to relate and continuously learn from the large ecosystem that surrounds them. It is then imperative in an ever-changing global stage for one to be humble enough to recognize that it is diversity of knowledge and thought, rather than the simple gathering and confirmation, that will lead to enlightenment.

Our 2023 International Career Achievement Award recipient, Dr. Jennifer Hatfield, PhD'01, is an internationally recognized adviser and global health scholar with a deep understanding of the diverse global health eco-system. Dr. Hatfield’s accomplishments are seen in countless ways, from international activities and guiding Canadian best practices, to the halo effect of influencing and supporting faculty and students as they engage with global leadership. 

“Dr. Hatfield is a researcher, educator, and leader in global health with a focus on public health, gender, and maternal and newborn child health in low- and middle-income countries.” says nominator Dr. Dianne Mosher, PhD. “She tirelessly advocates for equitable partnerships, knowledge translation, mutual capacity-building, ethics and cultural competency, influencing those she mentors and works with to live by example.”

Dr. Hatfield has dedicated herself to promoting scholarship in global health research governance that centres ethical and equitable partnerships and principles. Through the Cumming School of Medicine’s Global Health and International Partnerships program, Dr. Hatfield created Leaders in Global Health Tomorrow, which has supported emerging international experts in public health and the basic sciences. This program, which supports individuals in centering a partnership-first lens of ethics and equity, fosters future policy-makers to be mindful and embody servant leadership, as Dr. Hatfield has been influenced by. This style is developed not through establishing oneself as a source of expertise, but by fostering it in others — creating a culture of trust, self-awareness, humility and diversity of thought.

Many of these emerging talents have gone on to influence policies and practices to guide University of Calgary faculty and students in their international work. They have also taken up roles as preceptors with Bachelor of Health Science, veterinary medicine and graduate students in the international field schools, providing vital cultural training and an appreciation for diversity. These principles embody continuous learning, and an understanding that, in an ever-changing world, wherever one might be, we are all learning, — and learning together.

“Some people are unaware of how deeply interconnected we all are as a global heath community.” says Dr. Hatfield, adding that one of her major influences in internationalizing so many UCalgary programs came from “A profound belief that, to be a respectful, compassionate global citizens, we need to truly immerse ourselves in cultures and perspectives very different from our own.”

Because of Dr. Hatfield’s innovative approach to field schools and research opportunities, UCalgary students in multiple faculties have travelled to complete programs in Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Nicaragua and Mongolia. They have collaborated with and learned from students in their group across faculties, faculty members, and community members in each country to address issues such as maternal, newborn and child-health issues; parasite infections among livestock in pastoral communities; and health promotion. Students come away from each experience with improved cultural competency, increased adaptability to changing circumstances, friendships, new perspectives and, in some cases, a clearer outlook of their career path, all of which are just some of the many benefits of experiential learning. While it took place in a global setting, the principles of partnership experienced by the students apply to their local, interdisciplinary cohort just as much as it did to their understanding of ethical and equitable international experiences. Dr. Hatfield’s continued dedication to these experiences has fostered respectful and reciprocal partnerships for UCalgary.